DPS Teachers being rehired

**GPCharles** · July-29-11, 08:16 AM

W received her notice yesterday.

**English** · July-29-11, 01:19 PM

Not surprised. I went through the cycle of "layoff - recall" three times before I got off the roller coaster, took my marbles, and went to find another playground. My 2004 recall only came a week [[and no more than 10 days) before school started. I'd written up a business plan for my own tutoring and test prep business, took a few classes through my church at the time, and even printed up brochures. [[One of my previous school principals had even agreed to help me with referrals.) Of course, I went back because I missed my students and needed the health care, but sometimes, I wonder.

Unless they were planning radical and drastic change [[such as populating the entire district with 22 year old Teach for America grads fresh out of undergrad), this was inevitable.

Glad for W's sake, anyway.

**DetroitTeacher** · July-29-11, 06:13 PM

I got my letter a few days ago...will be back in my same position. I'm just thankful I have a job, even with the concessions and higher cost of benefits. At least they are doing away with the TIP deduction so I'll be coming out just under what I am bringing home now.

**English** · July-29-11, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitTeacher

I got my letter a few days ago...will be back in my same position. I'm just thankful I have a job, even with the concessions and higher cost of benefits. At least they are doing away with the TIP deduction so I'll be coming out just under what I am bringing home now.

I'm so glad for your students, DT. Thinking of you.

**65memories** · July-29-11, 07:03 PM

Add me to the list of those glad for you, Detroit Teacher.

**DetroitTeacher** · July-30-11, 06:38 AM

Thanks, everyone! As of now, my job classification doesn't have me in the classroom [[I am the "Literacy Coach" and that involves working more with other teachers than it does the kids). My Principal is trying her best to get me back in the classroom, where I really want to be. My former students [[who are now seniors) have been pestering me for weeks, wanting to know if I'll be back and if I'll be in the classroom. I am hoping that I will be! It's where I belong and where I am most happy.

Keep your fingers crossed that I will be working with the kids this year and not focusing on teaching teachers how to teach! If someone needs to do that with them, they don't need to be teachers!!

**Lowell** · July-30-11, 09:29 AM

Glad to hear things worked out for you Detroit Teacher. I am sure I can speak for the forum when I express how much I appreciate your reports from the "front lines" of educating our city's and country's future. It is sad, however, that you have to endure this annual suspense and drama over your personal economic stability when you have done your job so honorably and with such care and concern for your students.

No one who has not spent a year in a classroom can comprehend the physical and, particularly, mental exhaustion that teaching involves. My hardest, longest day of delivering refrigerators for Sears or roofing houses did not come close to the exhaustion from my worst days of teaching because I at least had a rested mind when I came home from the latter. They myth of getting a couple of summer months off is just that. Knowledge is moving at an incredible speed and time to rest, refresh, keep pace with new information and prepare for the upcoming year is more necessary than ever.

Teachers are a bright group and are capable of transitioning into other fields. If we treat them like day laborers who get picked up in front of Home Depot and paid less and less, they will leave and the academic results will be predictable. We do not have a crisis in education because teachers are over-paid. We have it because the profession as a whole is underpaid and now increasingly more so. Sure we can get teachers for low wages, but we can't keep them and we will break their remaining morale.

**Danny** · July-30-11, 09:33 AM

As more DPS teachers rehiring, most of them will a severly reduced delay paycheck. At least they a got a job in such difficult times.

**DetroitTeacher** · July-30-11, 05:05 PM

Agreed. Many of my friends, who are in the teaching field, wouldn't be caught dead in Detroit classrooms [[or maybe they would, based on their skiddishness). DPS will never attract talented teachers because of the way they treat us each year [[and, according to this latest news of our pay and benefits, no one will come because it means they will forever be stuck at the bottom of the pay scale). It's sad because Detroit students are some of the best kids around! They deserve the best and brightest teachers [[and ones who care). I just feel for my kids who are starting the year with tons of uncertainty [[as they do each year as teachers are shifted and classes are done away with). This has caused more than enough kids to not have the classes they need to graduate and they must take them in summer school [[not because they failed...but because DPS screwed up and got rid of the teacher who taught the class). I feel for the kids because many teachers I know are leaving DPS and not looking back [[great teachers, by the way). I'm going to stick it out until I just have no choice in the matter. I have specialized degrees which will allow me to teach anywhere in the country [[Autism and LD). I just can't leave the kids just yet. I can handle the 10% and more for my healthcare right now [[just not so sure about the future) but I'll have to cut back in what I give back to the kids [[supplies and the other stuff I've mentioned before).

Originally Posted by Lowell

Glad to hear things worked out for you Detroit Teacher. I am sure I can speak for the forum when I express how much I appreciate your reports from the "front lines" of educating our city's and country's future. It is sad, however, that you have to endure this annual suspense and drama over your personal economic stability when you have done your job so honorably and with such care and concern for your students.

No one who has not spent a year in a classroom can comprehend the physical and, particularly, mental exhaustion that teaching involves. My hardest, longest day of delivering refrigerators for Sears or roofing houses did not come close to the exhaustion from my worst days of teaching because I at least had a rested mind when I came home from the latter. They myth of getting a couple of summer months off is just that. Knowledge is moving at an incredible speed and time to rest, refresh, keep pace with new information and prepare for the upcoming year is more necessary than ever.

Teachers are a bright group and are capable of transitioning into other fields. If we treat them like day laborers who get picked up in front of Home Depot and paid less and less, they will leave and the academic results will be predictable. We do not have a crisis in education because teachers are over-paid. We have it because the profession as a whole is underpaid and now increasingly more so. Sure we can get teachers for low wages, but we can't keep them and we will break their remaining morale.